“Treat yourself once in a while to homemade mayonnaise prepared in a food processor. This simple version is delicious and light – and it takes about 5 minutes to whip up. It will keep about a week, but mine usually vanishes before that,” Judith Jones writes in “The Pleasures of Cooking for One.”
Mayonnaise
1 large egg
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt, to taste
About ¾ cup light extra-virgin olive oil
Spin the egg, mustard, a few drops of lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt in the food processor long enough to blend well. With the machine going, pour the olive oil in, a few drops at a time to begin, then in a steady stream. When the mayonnaise has thickened and you have used up almost all of the oil, taste and adjust: You will need several drops more lemon juice and a little more salt, and perhaps, if the sauce doesn’t seem thick enough, a little more olive oil blended in. That’s it.
Variations: If you don’t have a food processor and want to make the mayonnaise by hand, use just the egg yolk instead of the whole egg. Drop the yolk in a small shallow bowl and beat constantly with a fork in one hand as you slowly add the olive oil, in droplets at first, then in a steady stream, until thickened.
[amazon-product]0307270726[/amazon-product]To make a simple version of a Pistou Sauce that’s particularly good with bouillabaisse or swirled into a vegetable soup, or added to a green sauce, smash, remove the peel from, and chop fine 2 fat garlic cloves. Sprinkle a large pinch of salt on top, and mash with the flat of your knife until you have a paste. Stir that in about ½ cup of your mayonnaise. Mix in the about a quarter of a large red bell pepper, roasted, peel removed, and cut into small dice (or use a roasted pepper from a jar), and season with a large pinch of sweet paprika and a small pinch (at least that’s all I like) of hot pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
From “The Pleasures of Cooking for One” by Judith Jones